Episode Details

What is a homeschool dad actually supposed to do when his wife is the one teaching? Most homeschool content is written for moms, so dads are left guessing — supportive, but unsure where they fit. Homeschool expert Christy-Faith sits down with Dr. Joe O'Tool, a board-certified functional neurologist and second-generation homeschooler, to answer the question directly: what every homeschool dad needs to know.

🎁 Free Resource: The New Homeschooler's Roadmap
Your free step-by-step companion to this whole journey — all 8 steps, all the links, plus episode playlists organized by your biggest worries. Save it to your desktop — it's your command center.
👉 Free Download

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What the dad's role in homeschooling actually is when mom is the primary teacher
• Why the best homeschool dads lead without micromanaging the day-to-day
• What to say to your wife when she has taught the same concept five times and hit a wall
• Why a dad's criticism is usually fear talking — and what to do with that fear
• The one action step Dr. Joe gives every nervous homeschool dad
• Why deschooling matters just as much for dads as it does for moms
• The skill that predicts academic success better than intelligence does
• How to explain your family's homeschooling to coworkers and friends without apologizing

Sponsors:

BJU Press Homeschool
✔ Flexible curriculum to fit your family's needs
✔ Biblical worldview and critical thinking built in
✔ Hands-on learning for every grade level
👉 View Samples

CTC Math
✔ Get 50% off my favorite online math program
✔ Adaptive lessons so kids build confidence at their own pace
✔ Teaching, grading, and testing — all done for you!
👉 Free Trial
👉 Get 50% Off

Summit Healthshare
✔ Save 40–60% vs. traditional health insurance
✔ See any doctor — no networks, no permission slips
✔ Free labs, office visits, prescriptions on select plans
👉 View Health Plans & Savings

Resources mentioned:

• The Stinks — Dr. Joe O'Tool's children's book about getting outside and getting the stink off
• Lifestream Clinic — Dr. Joe's functional neurology practice in Ankeny, Iowa
• Homeschool Iowa — the state organization Dr. Joe serves on the board of
• Homeschool Rising — Christy-Faith's book, including the chapter on deschooling
• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein — the book Dr. Joe references on struggle and long-term learning
• The Christy-Faith List — Find homeschool-friendly providers: christy-faiths-list.com
• Thrive Homeschool Community

About our guest:

Dr. Joe O'Tool is a board-certified functional neurologist practicing in Ankeny, Iowa, where he works daily with children facing learning, behavior, and development concerns, and with patients experiencing concussion, vertigo, brain fog, and dizziness. He is a second-generation homeschooler who grew up in a family of nine children, and he and his wife, Angie, homeschool the